AP Environmental
Science Test
Test Format
• 100 multiple
choice questions
• 90 minutes
• 60% of score
• 4 Free Response
questions (FRQ)
• 3 types
– Data analysis
– Document based
– Synthesis &
evaluation
• Worth 1-10 each
• 40% of score
Topics Covered
• Earth Systems & Resources
• The Living World
• Population
• Land & Water Use
• Energy Resources & Consumption
• Pollution (25-30%)
• Global Change
Introduction to AP
Environmental Science
The Environment
• Living & nonliving
• Sum total of surroundings
• Explore interaction between
humans & world around us
Environmental Science
• How Earth works
– How we interact with Earth
– How we deal with environmental
problems
• Interdisciplinary
– Chemistry
– Geology
– Biology
– Economics
– Politics & public policy
Sustainability
• A society in balance with natural
world
– No resource depletion
– Not exceeding sustainable yields
– Not producing pollutants in excess of
nature’s capacity to absorb them
Factors to Consider
• Human Population
– 6.7 billion +
– Annual growth rate of 1.2%
– 84 million people added in a single
year
• India 1.4%; Europe 0.7%; US 0.6%
• Correlation between poverty & growth
• Resources
– Food, water, shelter, metals, oil
– Renewable, nonrenewable, perpetual
• Eco-footprint
– Biologically productive land & water
needed to supply an area with
resources
– Capability of absorbing wastes
– US, Europe, China, India & Japan use
74% of Earth’s eco-capacity
– US, Europe, China & India have
footprints 2x as large as their
capacity
– Japan’s footprint is 5x its capacity
– At this rate of consumption
• Will take 1.39 Earths to support our
current production & consumption
• Pollution
– Chemicals in air, water, soil
– Natural
– Human activities
– Prevention & clean-up
• Environmental Problems
– Shrinking forests
– Degradation of soils
– Falling water tables
– Warming atmosphere
– Oceans over fished
– Amt of pollution is rising
• World views
– Experts disagree on seriousness of
problems & how to deal with them
– 3 strategic themes:
• Sustainability
• Stewardship
• Science
Homework
• Calculate your eco-footprint
• Www.footprintnetwork.org
– Due on Friday, August 26
• Get into groups of 3-4
– Discuss questions 2 & 3 under
“Projects” on page 27
– Turn in one paper per group
– Due at the end of the period
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